Deyalsingh: Time for retail sector to get covid19 vaccines now

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said now is the time for workers in the retail sector to step forward, roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated.

Deyalsingh made this statement on Tuesday after touring the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA) in San Fernando, where food and beverage workers were being vaccinated.

Having reopened the manufacturing, construction and food sectors already, Deyalsingh said, "We would like to open the retail sector."

He said various business organisations are compiling lists of retail workers in their various jurisdictions and sending them to the ministry, so they can get appointments to be vaccinated at one of the 11 mass vaccination sites or one of the two drive-through sites.

He explained, "Members of the public should not be coming to the mass vaccination sites. These sites are being used to vaccinate major groups like food and beverage, construction and so on." People who are not members of any of these groups should make appointments at any of the 109 health centres in the country.

He said small, medium and large health centres can vaccinate 50, 75 and 100 people daily. "Across the health sector they can comfortably do 7,000 a day, which is three mass vaccination sites."

Deyalsingh said about 1,500 people a day could be vaccinated at a mass vaccination site like SAPA.

He hoped similar numbers would be done at drive-through sites at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva and in Wallerfield, which will both be fully operational on Wednesday. At the former, which is being run by Proman, Deyalsingh said a pilot run on Monday saw 500 people vaccinated in four hours.

He also said the objective of the accelerated mass covid19 vaccination was to vaccinate 600,000 people by the end of September and inch ever closer to achieve herd immunity in Trinidad and Tobago, with 980,000 people fully vaccinated against covid19.

"What we are doing now is ramping up significantly our vaccination programme. We now have in the country enough vaccines to vaccinate 400,000 people. That is 40 per cent of the adult population."

Deyalsingh was optimistic that about 200,000 people will be vaccinated by next weekend.

With herd immunity being roughly 70 per cent of the population, Deyalsingh reminded reporters that TT's 1.4 million population includes children.

"Right now, we don't have vaccines registered in TT for the under-18s, so that knocks off 400,000 people."

Excluding this number, Deyalsingh said, "So it means to achieve herd immunity, 980,000 people, which is close to 100 per cent of your adult population."

He said this is why "we are making vaccines available to every adult and there will be more coming."

Any Pfizer vaccines that Government obtains from the United States will be dedicated only to children between 12 and 18, that is, secondary school students.

Against this background, Deyalsingh said adults should take the covid19 vaccines available to them now and not wait for the Pfizer vaccine.

"My urge is not to do so. You may put yourself in danger."

He also said there is no scientific basis for anyone to have a rapid test before being vaccinated.

South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) CEO Dr Brian Armour said a small issue at a mass vaccination site in Penal, where 40 people turned up without appointments, was handled without any difficulty and they were advised to make appointments at health centres.